On February 11th, an endorsement forum was held jointly between the North Brooklyn, Central Brooklyn, and Flatbush branches of the NYC Democratic Socialists of America around Bianca Cunningham’s campaign in City Council District 41. Over the next week, a poll will go out to the concerned Branches to determine whether the question of endorsement will be placed on the agenda of the Citywide Leadership Committee. This letter was written by Sid C. to contribute to the debate in Central Brooklyn DSA.
Dear Comrades,
I will not be able to attend tonight’s endorsement forum, but would like to register my recommendation of “no endorsement” here. While Comrade Bianca’s credentials and skills are tremendous, I think it is far too late in the cycle for us to have a meaningful impact on this seven-way race. Moreover, I have a number of concerns with the canvassing plan and the candidate’s vision for the Socialists in Office body. Here, I will outline these issues in lieu of delivering a floor speech tonight.
First, I see this endorsement as a significant abrogation of our democratically-mandated electoral strategy that was passed at convention. The strategy, as quoted, reads that DSA endorses campaigns:
When NYC-DSA can play the primary role in directing, staffing, and organizing a winnable campaign—usually a state legislative or City Council campaign;
If the above is not applicable, then when NYC-DSA can play a “senior partner” role as part of a broader coalition in a winnable campaign, usually a larger campaign (Congress, statewide, citywide, etc). The chapter reserves the right to act strategically and democratically in deciding to participate in such a coalition and campaign, but the campaign and candidate should be committed to building NYC-DSA, championing our platform, and fighting for material gains for the working class;
As of now, it remains unclear how either of these conditions will be met. Given how late we would be getting involved in this race and the fact that the candidate has only asked for partial field support, I find it unlikely that DSA could ever be a meaningful senior partner in this campaign. Moreover, I do not yet know how that campaign will make up the “field deficit” incurred by the fact that we will only be running part of the operation. In 2024, we had some difficulty asking our coalition partners to canvass consistently, and I am unsure if the ground has shifted this cycle. In other words, in absence of a broad field coalition, DSA will remain a junior partner to the campaign itself. Our ability to contribute meaningfully will be restricted by the sheer number of canvassers we will be able to send, and to where. Already, this has revealed itself to be an unusual endorsement by the standards of NYC-DSA, yet the candidate's questionnaire responses do not reflect that reality. According to the mandates passed last October, DSA simply does not run this type of partial campaign.
Endorsing here would put us in a situation that would require a massive emergency operation, for which I do not presently see the appetite in the chapter. In order for this to change, an army of field leads and volunteers would immediately need to put themselves on record as bottomliners for this operation. Indeed, this campaign could have massive upsides, both they will require personnel in order for them to be realized.
Thus far, I have seen few willing to take on that role. Moreover, I would need a collective explanation for why these organizers see themselves as contributing chiefly to this race rather than expand the reach of Comrade Zohran’s campaign in key districts that have historically been more amenable to our engagement. Convention has given us a democratic mandate to support his campaign to the hilt, and we must adhere to it.
I am also somewhat alarmed that Comrade Bianca has noted that she is choosing to be “mindful of the demographics” of certain parts of the district and has suggested something akin to picking and choosing which DSA organizers will be allowed to canvass in which locations based on race. This is not a neutral statement and in fact places different expectations on members. While I am deeply empathetic towards this strategic decision and believe there are some circumstances in which it is valid, I think it does not reflect the present reality of DSA’s racial makeup. I do not appreciate, as someone who intends to devote the next four months of my life to electing Comrade Zohran Mamdani, the idea that as a Black member of Central Brooklyn DSA that I have a different “obligation” to contribute labor to this campaign than other members might. If membership accepts this campaign plan as it stands, membership and Branch Organizing Committees become responsible for carrying out this specific demographic goal. The whiteness of DSA is an ongoing problem, but it will not be resolved by this type of tokenization. We have to play with the organizers we have been dealt, not the ones we wish to have.
Practically, this will always shape the absolute number of canvassing shifts our organization will be able to contribute. This is a seven-way race with low name recognition for anyone, including, apparently, the incumbent. To win will require a herculean effort which Comrade Bianca has specifically requested against. Meanwhile, we are watching as the effort to support Comrade Zohran is surpassing expectations, perhaps even breaching containment. With this campaign, we are at the precipice of a major explosion of socialist electoral work, with two dozen canvassers, mostly new faces, showing up to my February shifts in the freezing cold. Pivoting to this other race both tactically and geographically risks much of the infrastructure that I and other electoral organizers are beginning to build. I do not feel comfortable taking away valuable organizing energy, especially in Assembly District 56, for the purpose of running a separate uphill battle in this Council District. The same can be said for our fundraising energy: While Comrade Zohran’s race has a high ceiling in terms of how far small-dollar donations can go towards building DSA and spreading our message across the city, it seems unclear whether or not Comrade Bianca will receive matching funds at all, and not before April 15.
I think we are genuinely underestimating how huge this mayoral campaign can be. Yesterday afternoon, an old college friend involved chiefly in mutual aid work saw me quoted in the Indypendent and asked me to come speak to their group about volunteering. People who claim to have not attended DSA events in years are desperately asking me for other ways to get involved after the canvasses I lead. Doors that would have slammed shut in 2024 are now hearing us out. There is real momentum here, and as a member of the Organizing Committee that would help funnel members to support this other race, I just have a hard time imagining how to do that in the face of already-realized opportunities elsewhere.
I also harbor concerns about Comrade Bianca’s answers to questions about bloc voting and factional unity with the SIO (Socialists In Office) electoral project. While I think it is true that she can be moved on issues of accountability to the organization, I think her initial answers on this question leave me wanting for a vision of how she will build the City SIO in the event she is elected. These answers have short-term impacts as well: While at present I have no concerns about Comrade Bianca’s platform and how it relates to DSA’s or Comrade Zohran Mamdani’s, the lack of senior-partner status in this campaign operation will likely hamstring our abilities to work through political differences should they arise. Equally important is the comrade’s decision to remain in the race regardless of whether or not the chapter endorses, which further reflects a disinterest in the internal workings of the chapter’s electoral efforts.
Issues about SIO accountability can be resolved through discussions around both policy and the candidate’s theories of governance should she be elected. Unfortunately, given the difficulty of winning, conversations about how this race can build our movement need to happen in the realm of the campaign process and the coalition-building that can be achieved during its course. There is little time to run this race, and what feels like even fewer people. If our goal is to build socialism in a district with as few active members as we have, we will need to take on high-intensity, low-risk projects that are capable of building a base of support in absence of a dense, highly-motivated membership. On account of the present dearth of DSA members in District 41 and the restrictions being placed on canvassers, I remain skeptical that an electoral campaign is the best method for growing socialism here.
Based on these issues, I urge the membership of Central Brooklyn DSA to vote no on endorsement. Further, on account of this project’s disunity with the mandates of our chapter Convention, I likewise urge the Citywide Leadership Committee to do the same should this endorsement pass at the branch level.
Yours in solidarity,
Sid C.